


This Is A Rescue

by shieldmyheart



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Friendship/Love, Gen, Not Canon Compliant, the boys are being overprotective, they just care a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-07-11 07:24:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7035877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shieldmyheart/pseuds/shieldmyheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where your knight in shining armor is actually a trio of bickering superheroes</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is A Rescue

You had put the finishing touches on your makeup and admired your handiwork in the mirror before stepping back to examine your full outfit. You had a date with a guy you’d met on a dating app. You’d been nervous about using the online tool to find love but your life as an Avenger didn’t really lend much free time for socializing.

 

You turned in different directions to get a better angle of your outfit choice, pleased with the way the navy fabric of your dress clung to your body. Satisfied with your appearance, you gathered your purse and phone before making your way downstairs to the common area. Most of the other Avengers were out or in other areas of the tower except for Sam, Bucky and Steve, who were hanging in the living room when you entered. At the sound of your heels on the tiled floor, all three men looked up.

 

“Wow, Y/N, you look great,” Steve commented, coming around the bar with a sports drink in hand. His earnest declaration made you grin in appreciation as you stepped further into the room.

 

“Got a hot date you didn’t tell us about?” asked Sam with an amused smirk from behind his laptop screen.

 

“Thanks, Steve.” You stopped behind the couch where Bucky was lounging and leaned against the soft leather. “And, as a matter of fact, I do.”

 

Bucky put down the book he was reading and looked up at you. “What, we’re not good enough for you now?”

 

“Jealous, Barnes?” You reached out a hand to ruffle Bucky’s dark locks, your smile widening as he swatted your hand away, a small pout on his lips.

 

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

 

Steve’s voice prompted you to turn to face him where he sat on a barstool. “His name’s David; I met him on Tinder.”

 

“Tinder? Really?” Sam set his computer down and crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes bright with amusement.

 

“What’s a ‘Tinder’?”

 

Bucky’s question made you and Sam chuckle before Steve spoke up. “It’s a dating app. You swipe right if you like the person and left if you don’t,” he explained coolly.

 

The rest of you turned to him, inquisitive looks upon your faces. You knew Steve was continuously learning about all he had missed while frozen but hearing him talk about such a current phenomenon still took you by surprise. Under the gaze of you all, a faint flush crept up Steve’s neck and he scratched at it in his embarrassment.

 

“What? Nat tried to set up a profile for me once.”

 

You hid your laugh behind your hand as Bucky exclaimed “’Atta boy, Stevie!”

 

Ignoring his friend’s outburst, Steve looked at you and asked “Where’s this David taking you?”

 

“That new seafood restaurant, Pearl.”

 

“Does he know you hate shrimp?” Sam asked. “Seems like an odd date choice if he does.”

 

You sighed. “Yes, he knows and I’m the one who suggested it actually.” Sam opened his mouth to retort but you, knowing full well what he was going to say, spoke instead. “ _There’s more than just shrimp on the menu_ , _Sam_.”

 

He quirked an eyebrow but remained silent – for that, you were grateful.

 

“What about after dinner? A movie? A nice stroll in the park?” Bucky stared up at you, his steely blue eyes full of curiosity.

 

“We’re playing it by ear.”

 

Apparently your answer was unsatisfactory as Bucky shook his head, Sam hummed in disapproval, and Steve let out a heavy sigh. “That can only mean one thing,” Sam stated, leaning back in his armchair.

 

" _Oh boy_.” You took several deep breaths in an attempt to ready yourself for what would happen next.

 

“Sex,” offered Bucky matter-of-factly when you still said nothing.

 

“ _No_...no. That’s not what this means.”

 

“What else could it mean then?” Steve asked abandoning his drink on the counter behind him.

 

“We planned it this way -- in case dinner didn’t go well, we wouldn’t be committed to doing something else together.”

 

“So…sex is off the table for tonight?”

 

“Oh my god!” You hid your reddening face behind your hands at Bucky’s comment as peals of laughter vibrated throughout the room. Of course they found this all to be very amusing as they continued to interrogate you about your date. The close bond you shared with the three men was extremely important to you and you knew they felt the same. However, their current barrage of questions was beginning to make you second guess your friendship. You knew they cared about your happiness and meant well with their inquiring minds; they just had an oddly infuriating way of showcasing it. “Would it make you guys feel better if I showed you his profile?”

 

A rousing chorus of ‘Yes!’ erupted around you, making you roll your eyes and let out a soft chuckle. Perhaps seeing and reading about David would quell their uneasy minds. You took your phone out of your bag and as you pulled up the app, beckoned Sam, Steve and Bucky over. They gathered around you – Sam planted firmly at your side and Steve next to him while Bucky hovered behind your right shoulder. You clicked on your date’s picture to bring up his full profile to show your boys.

 

“See? He’s not so bad,” you said slowly scrolling the screen so they could read the page.

 

“He’s a tax attorney.”

 

“What’s wrong with that?” you directed towards Steve.

 

He shrugged, hands in his pockets and the smallest smirk ghosting his lips. “Nothing, I suppose, if you find that kind of thing exciting.”

 

“Whatever, Rogers,” you retorted. “Some of us have enough excitement in our lives saving the world every week.”

 

“Yeah, well, he looks like a goober if I’ve ever seen one,” Bucky complained, resting his chin on your shoulder.

 

“A _goober_?”

 

“Now who has to teach someone something?” He nudged you in the back with his metal arm as his soft laugh echoed in your ear.

 

“Look at his socks,” Sam added, flicking the screen back up. “Only a goober would wear socks like that.”

 

“They’re cute!” You exclaimed defending the man you were supposed to meet soon.

 

“For a tax attorney, maybe,” came Steve’s response.

 

Bucky and Sam snickered and you hushed them with a firm glare. Your plan to subdue their overprotective actions seemed to backfire. “Alright, that’s enough of you three harassing me about my date.”

 

You checked the time on your phone and cursed under your breath when you saw that you were running late. You broke free from the group and started towards the exit, nerves already on high because of the recent discussions about that night. As you made for the elevator, the guys wished you well and bid you goodnight. You stepped into the confines of the elevator and waved to your trio of super idiots before being whisked away to begin what you hoped would be a memorable evening.

 

* * *

 

An hour had passed since you left the tower, leaving the guys to their own devices. The tv had been turned on and Sam and Bucky watched the screen with interest as Steve paced quietly in front of the windows. He’d been at it for quite some time, his mind preoccupied with your well-being.

 

“I have a bad feeling about this guy, David,” Steve announced, turning his back to the windows, his large arms crossed over his chest. The others turned to him at his sudden declaration.

 

“Y/N can handle herself.” Bucky’s voice faltered as he met Steve’s eye.

 

They knew you were more than capable of handling yourself in any situation thrown at you but the vulnerability you displayed about your date worried them. Knowing of your past relationships and fears of future ones didn’t help the heroes from wondering about the status of your date. Steve and Bucky shared a knowing look that didn’t go unnoticed by Sam.

 

“You two better not be thinking what I think you are,” he said, a finger gesturing between them.

 

“Don’t you want to make sure David’s everything he made himself out to be?” Steve questioned coming to stand by Sam’s chair.

 

“Yeah…” the other man answered cautiously, eyes shifting to Bucky as he, too, made his way over.

 

“And ensure he’s treating our Y/N the way she deserves?” Bucky asked matching Steve’s stance.

 

Sam -- feeling _slightly_ awkward having his friends towering over him -- stood from his seat. Their expressions were uncompromising - which would probably frighten a lesser person - but Sam was accustomed to their mannerisms and knew better than to fall for their tough guy act.

 

“I’m just as concerned about this guy and Y/N as you two are,” he started, stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets. “But I don’t want to be on the receiving end of one of her attacks when she finds out we’ve been meddling.”

 

“ _If_ ,” Bucky corrected with a grin.

 

“Wha—Oh hell no!” Sam barely had time to react as Steve snatched his computer from the table and rushed over to the bar, Bucky hot on his heels. By the time Sam took the few steps to reach them, Steve had already accessed Redwing’s control program and was entering your specifications into the appropriate fields.

 

“We are _not_ using Redwing to spy on Y/N!” Sam exclaimed reaching for the keyboard; his attempts were futile as the super soldier blocked his movements with his left arm.

 

“We aren’t spying,” Steve countered, typing away with his right hand. “We’re just…checking in.”

 

“From where I’m standing, it looks an awful lot like spying.”

 

“We’re just seeing how the date is going,” Steve countered, a triumphant smile on his face.

 

He tilted the screen so they could all see Redwing’s tracking signal searching for you in the city. Sam groaned.

 

“And what are you gonna do if you see something you don’t like? Run down there to break them up?”

 

Steve looked up at Sam at that point with a determined glint in his eye and Sam mentally kicked himself knowing he’d just set a whole new ball in motion. You were definitely going to kill them now.

 

Bucky glanced between the other two men until he caught on to what was about to happen. “Wait, Steve, no. We can’t interrupt her date,” he said pulling at Steve’s shoulder.

 

Sam threw his hands into the air. “Thank you!”

 

“I thought you were with me on this,” Steve replied turning to face Bucky and visibly upset by his friend’s betrayal.

 

“Yeah, I was when I thought we were just harmlessly snooping –“

 

“ _Spying_ ,” interjected Sam.

 

Bucky gave Sam a sharp look and continued. “—but disrupting her date is crossing the line.”

 

Steve crossed his arms and shook his head, a cloud of worry covering his features. “I can’t just sit back and do nothing when I feel like something’s wrong.”

 

“Listen, man, as much fun as it was ragging on this David guy, it’s not our call,” Sam explained. “Y/N will hate us if we interfere even more.”

 

Steve was ready to defend his view when the computer started beeping. All three men turned their attention to the screen where a blinking red dot indicated Redwing had found you. Bucky and Sam looked at Steve but Steve ignored them both as he brought up the drone’s camera feature. A live video feed popped up and they watched in silence for several minutes until Steve walked towards the hall.

 

“Where are you going?” Bucky called to Steve’s retreating back.

 

“To rescue our girl.”

 

* * *

 

You sipped on your water and fiddled with the napkin in your lap. You could feel the other patrons’ eyes on you and you could only imagine what they were saying about you in their hushed tones. For the past seventy-five minutes you sat at your table alone, begging your poor server to just wait a few more minutes for your date to arrive. Each time she came back to check on you, her face more disappointed than before but it didn’t compare to how broken you felt inside.

 

Ever since you had learned of your powers, you’d had trouble with relationships of all kinds. Too many people were afraid of you and too many times were you afraid of hurting someone you loved. But then the Avengers found you and they took you in – Steve, Sam and Bucky being the most helpful and compassionate. They were your family now and they made you feel comfortable in your skin again. You still worried about the possibility of injuring someone by accident but you had gained better control over your power in the time spent as an Avenger. And that confidence gave you the boost you needed to go on this date but it seemed all for nothing now.

 

You set your glass back down on the table and checked your phone for the hundredth time, searching for a message you knew wouldn’t come. Hot tears pricked at the corners of your eyes but you blinked them away. You’d shed too many tears for too many assholes before – not again. You placed a hand on your rumbling stomach and decided to just get your food and head back to the tower. You flagged down your server who rushed over with hope in her eyes.

 

“Um, I think I’m just going to order my meal to go,” you said.

 

“Are you sure?” she asked tentatively.

 

You gave her a small nod before listing off the items you wanted to drown your emotions in. “…and I’ll also get the raspberry cheesecake. And I think that’s it.”

 

“Make that four cheesecakes.”

 

Startled, you looked up and let out a quiet gasp when you found Sam, Bucky and Steve standing across from you. Your server mumbled incoherently before she rushed off towards the kitchen – hopefully to fulfill your order and not just gossip about having four Avengers at one of her tables.

 

“What are you guys doing here?” you asked, eyes wide in surprise.

 

“We were worried about you,” said Bucky with a gentle smile and soft eyes.

 

“We couldn’t leave our favorite girl all alone,” Steve commented and Sam nodded in agreement.

 

Maybe it was a combination of the different emotions running through you but the tears you tried to hold back earlier escaped in rivulets down your cheeks. How did you become so lucky to have friends as thoughtful as them? People who were willing to go out of their way to insure your comfort? It was the sweetest gesture anyone had ever shown you and you were overwhelmed by the thought of it. “Thank you,” you choked out.

 

Sam came to kneel by your side. He cupped your face in his hands as he wiped your tears away with his thumbs. “Hey, no crying on my watch, you got that?”

 

His bright smile was infectious and you found yourself matching it despite the flow of tears. “Got it.”

 

“What do you say we head back to the tower?”

 

Bucky came around the table to stand on your other side and reached out his flesh hand for you to take. Sam let go of your face – but not before placing a kiss to your forehead – and stood back so you could stand as well. You grabbed Bucky’s hand, hardly surprised when he pulled you up effortlessly. He wrapped his arm around your shoulders, tucking you into his side.

 

“I’ll wait for the food, you guys head on out,” Steve kindly offered.

 

“Thanks Steve,” you managed to say once your crying subsided.

 

You wiggled your fingers at Sam, indicating for him to take your hand. Once he did, the three of you moved awkwardly through the restaurant to the cool night air outside. Being surrounded by your best friends provided you with a necessary comfort and the embarrassing truth of being stood up was soon forgotten. Within minutes Steve was joining you, take-out bags in hand, and the four of you started towards the tower.

 

As you walked sandwiched between Bucky and Sam, with Steve in the rear, your mind wandered to their discovery of you alone in the restaurant, trying to understand how they could have known your date hadn’t shown.

 

“How’d you know I was alone?” you blurted out interrupting the conversation between Sam and Bucky.

 

You lifted your head from its spot on Bucky’s shoulder to see him staring wide-eyed at Sam. In turn, Sam had the same look of terror directed back at Steve. You glanced back at the super soldier and noticed his downcast eyes and the faint blush creeping up his neck.

 

“What did you guys _do_?” you demanded and they all started at once.

 

“Um, well, you see Y/N –“

 

“—we didn’t _want_ to do it –“

 

“—we were really concerned about you –“

 

“—we tried to stop him –“

 

“—so I only did it to help –“

 

“Stop!” Your outburst quieted their word assault and you tried to make sense of the bits of information you could gather from them speaking over each other but none of it seemed to give you the answer you were looking for. You sighed. Did it matter what they did to find you? A part of you thought so only because you sensed their methods weren’t so innocent but a larger part thought that it didn’t. Their love for you outweighed whatever they might have done to get there. “You know what? I don’t care.”

 

They looked at you with their mouths open in surprise and you chuckled. “You guys were worried enough to come and get me; everything else is not important.”

 

“So we’re forgiven?” Steve asked and you didn’t need to turn around to know he was truly apologetic.

 

“This time,” you answered. “Just don’t make it a habit to burst in on my dates – whether they show up or not – ok?”

 

“We can’t make any promises,” Bucky started.

 

“But we’ll do our best,” Sam finished with a light squeeze to your hand.

 

You rolled your eyes but smiled nonetheless. They were brats – driving you insane with their incessant joking and bickering – but they were _your_ brats and to be honest you wouldn’t have them any other way.


End file.
